Recipes from the Melting Pot of my Antipodean Kitchen

Leek and Fresh Herb Tart / Quiche

Ideally you shouldn’t be reading this post for yet another month. You see… my excessively organised mind had quite liked the idea of my 100th Post (yes, that’s THIS one! 🙂 ) being posted on Gather and Graze’s 2nd Blogiversary (the 12th April). But here we are… well ahead of schedule… so I guess we’ll just have to celebrate twice!

In my opinion, leeks hold such a beautiful flavour. They lift many a dish and provide complexity that can’t always be found by using onions or garlic (other members of the Allium family). Unfortunately though, it’s not often that you find leeks as the hero of the dish, so here I’m hoping to remedy this! This Leek and Fresh Herb Tart/Quiche is a particular favourite of mine and also of my eldest son… I was surprised to find that I hadn’t posted this recipe already, as it’s a dish that we’ve been enjoying for much longer than these past 2 years of blogging. I hope very much that you’ll enjoy it too.

To make the pastry… place the flour and salt into a food processor and a pulse a couple of times to make sure there are no lumps. Add the chilled butter and continue pulsing until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Mix together the egg yolk and water, then add it to the food processor. Blend just until the mixture comes together into a ball. Remove the pastry from the machine, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before using.

Roll the pastry out and press it into an 18cm (loose-bottomed) Deep Flan Tin. Prick the base all over with a fork and place the tin back into the fridge for about 45 minutes to rest.

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C and blind bake the tart shell. I baked mine for 15 minutes, lined and topped with pastry weights and then for a further 5 minutes without. As soon as the tart shell has cooked and you’ve removed it from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 170°C.

While the tart shell is in the oven, begin making the filling…

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the sliced leeks, along with a good pinch of salt. Stir to coat with the butter, then place a lid on top and allow to sweat and soften for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the leeks don’t brown or catch on the base. Remove from the heat when softened and set aside for the moment.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolk, then continue whisking as you add in the cream and creme fraiche. Season well with salt and black pepper.

Scoop the leeks into the tart shell and scatter evenly with the chopped herbs. Gently pour the cream mixture over the top, being careful not to over-fill… leave a gap of about 2cm. Sprinkle the top with finely grated cheese.

Place into the oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes until golden on top. If you prefer the pastry to be extra crispy, remove the outer edge of the flan tin and return the tart (still on the base) back to the oven for a further 5 minutes. Allow to cool a little before manoeuvring onto a serving plate.

Thanks Mary, that’s very kind of you! More of an autumn harvest for us here in Oz… but I’m happy to know that the warmer weather is heading your way after the tough few months you’ve had over there! Cheers, Margot

Thank you Jo! More often I would celebrate with something sweet… but this tart seemed the way to go this time – using beautiful seasonal leeks and a delicious shortcrust to encase them in! 🙂 Have a great weekend!

Congratulation on your 100th post, Margot! Such a nice achievement! 😊
I agree on leeks. I love their flavor – more delicate compared to onions – that doesn’t overwhelm the taste of the dish.
I love quiches and I use leeks too in mine.
Your quiche looks fantastic!

Thanks Francesca! 🙂 I need to find more opportunities for getting leeks onto our table… I have a few recipes that I use them in, but definitely need to find more!
Hope you’ve been having a wonderful week.

Congratulations, Margot, on your 100th post 🙂 You have shared so many wonderful recipes with us. This Leek & Fresh Herb Tart is such a delicious, unique combination of flavors and texture. I just love it. Margot, I wish you many more post to come xx

So very kind of you dear Linda! You and your beautiful blog (along with a number of other blogging friends) provide so much inspiration to me… and make it such a joy to be a part of this wonderful blogging world! So pleased to know that you approve of my Leek Tart! 🙂 M.xx

Really lovely combination of flavours. Wouldn’t necessarily have thought to use crème fraiche. And love the chives and parsley. I’m wondering what a deep flan tin is. Grief, like I need another tin. No, I’m guessing the tin I made the chocolate cake in could be used. But how do you get that curve in the pastry? Partly due to shrinkage? Ah, wondering out loud.

How wonderful – two celebrations! Congrats on both. Must have another nosy at your impeccably organised recipe list. Partly as I’m needing inspiration. Ahhhhh, no more winter!

Hi Johnny, can I start by thanking you for your ever thoughtful (and often thought-provoking) comments over the past couple of years. Must say I’ve really enjoyed the interactive nature of blogging (which I hadn’t realised would be so strong, when I started out). It’s lovely to know that there are a number of kindred spirits out there, so passionate about what they create in their kitchens.
As for the tart… you could always substitute sour cream for the creme fraiche (it’s cooked at quite a moderate temp, so shouldn’t cause any curdling…) otherwise just go with all cream, which I often do if I don’t have creme fraiche on hand. Most of the soft herbs would work well in this. Even a little fresh thyme cooked with the leeks to soften up a bit would be lovely. The deep flan tin should really be fluted, but I actually quite like a smooth-sided tart… so if truth be known, I use a deep springform cake tin. Perhaps I should declare that above in the recipe!? 😉 The curve is most likely from the blind baking… my pie weights didn’t quite reach up high enough to pin back the rim. Kind of rustic though, isn’t it?
Hope you’re having a productive week so far. Another reason to celebrate with the welcome arrival of spring! 🙂

Rustic? Au contraire, Madame! I think it looks stunning rather than just rustic. Which is why I was curious as to how you were achieving that look. I did Google flan tins, and over here they’re the fluted type – which I can’t be bothered with. The loose based cake tin I have just might be a good sub. If the pastry is a little thicker than I would normally roll it. As for the creme fraiche, it’s odd that I checked the ingredients for a Lenten pudding pie (that I published last year) and I had used creme fraiche. Really nice in a dessert, so why not in a savoury? It just didn’t occur to me to try it. So slow most days. 🙂 Oh, thanks for that link. Checked the site. Looks like the sort of work you need to see in situ.

Your tart is so lovely Margot. So attractive and delicious sounding. Two years and 100 posts! What an achievement! It is always such a joy to read your posts and see the wonderful food you are preparing. Your lucky kids have such fabulous meals with stellar presentation.

Ahh Seana, it really has been a fantastic couple of years and made so much better for the fact that such lovely people like you are out there blogging too! Thank you as always for your kindness and generous nature!

Happy Gather and Graze’s 2nd Blogiversary and the 100th post, Margot! *\(^o^)/*
You have created and maintained a beautiful blog with wonderful recipes.
I also think leek has that special taste and aroma, which makes the dish very special. And, how you made and presented this tart is especially gorgeous and worthy of celebratory item. ❤